ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have released their 2013 preseason schedule, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. The schedule will feature eight games against five opponents and will include three games at Verizon Center and a home and home series against both Stanley Cup finalists.

Washington will face the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL’s Kraft Hockeyville event from Stirling-Rawdon, Ontario, on Sept. 14, with more information about the game to be released by the NHL at a later date. The Capitals will open their home preseason schedule against the Boston Bruins in the Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on September 17.

The Caps will travel to Philadelphia to face-off against the Flyers on Sept. 16. The team’s preseason home opener at Verizon Center is Friday, Sept. 20 against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Capitals will then travel to Boston on Sept. 23 before returning home to face the Nashville Predators on Sept. 25 and the Philadelphia Flyers on Sept. 27 at Verizon Center. Washington will conclude its preseason schedule in Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The Capitals were 3-3-1 in the preseason in 2011, and their all-time preseason record is 143-115-29-10.

All preseason games will be carried via WashingtonCaps.com, with selected games to be broadcast on 106.7 The Fan and WFED-AM 1500. The full preseason broadcast schedule will be announced in September. The complete 2013-14 NHL regular season schedule will be released at a later date.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will face the Boston Bruins in the second Baltimore Hockey Classic on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2013, at 7 p.m. at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Capitals general manager George McPhee, 1st Mariner Arena/SMG general manager Frank Remesch and president of the Baltimore City Council Bernard C. “Jack” Young announced today.

“Baltimore is a great hockey market with a long hockey tradition and we are excited to make our return to 1st Mariner Arena next season,” said Capitals president Dick Patrick.

The inaugural Baltimore Hockey Classic, which featured the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals kicking off the Capitals’ 2011-12 preseason schedule, sold out as the capacity crowd of 11,082 fans enjoyed the first professional hockey game played in Baltimore since 1997.

Every Washington Capitals full season-account holder will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the Baltimore Hockey Classic beginning Wednesday, May 1, at 10 a.m. Details on ticket availability and pricing will be sent to full season-ticket holders when they become available. All other fans interested in attending the event are encouraged to purchase their tickets when they go on sale on Friday, May 3, at 10 a.m.

Following their 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday the Capitals clinched their sixth-straight playoff berth and their fifth Southeast Division title in the last six seasons. The Capitals six straight playoff appearances are tied for the fourth-longest active playoff streak in the NHL and they are one of only two teams (Vancouver) to have won five division titles in the last six seasons. In addition, the Capitals playoff streak marks the longest streak of playoff appearances in franchise history since their 14-straight postseason trips from the 1982-83 season through 1995-96.

The Capitals are led by captain Alex Ovechkin who currently leads the league with 32 goals this season, marking the eighth consecutive season that Ovechkin has tallied 30 or more goals. Ovechkin is the only player in the NHL to have recorded 30 or more goals in each season since 2005-06 and is one of just nine players in NHL history to score 30 goals in each of his first eight seasons in the league.

The Washington Capitals called Landover, Md., home from 1974-1997. They played their home games at the Capital Centre before moving to downtown Washington, D.C., for the 1997-98 season.

From 1981-1993, Baltimore was home to the Skipjacks, a minor league affiliate that began in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and then moved to the American Hockey League. The Jacks were affiliated with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals before moving to Portland, Maine, after the 1992-93 season. Former Capitals legends Don Beaupre and Olie Kolzig, to name a few, spent some of their minor league careers in Baltimore. The Baltimore Bandits, AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, played at 1st Mariner Arena from 1995-97.

The 1st Mariner Arena, formerly the Baltimore Arena, is Baltimore’s largest indoor venue and entertainment facility and has long been considered an anchor that contributed to the growth and prosperity of Baltimore. The arena opened in 1962 and was the cornerstone of the Baltimore Inner Harbor redevelopment. It hosts an average of 130 events and more than 800,000 guests come through the turnstiles annually.

For more information on The Baltimore Classic or 1st Mariner Arena, please visit www.WashingtonCaps.com or www.1stMarinerArena.com.

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BALTIMORE – The Baltimore Blast scored four second half goals to claim an 8-6 victory against the Missouri Comets in Game 2 of the MISL Championship Series on Saturday night at 1st Mariner Arena, giving the Blast a 2-0 series victory and their seventh MISL Championship. Blast goalkeeper William Vanzela claimed Most Valuable Player honors for the series, as he finished with 30 saves in two games to key Baltimore’s pair of victories.

The Blast trailed Missouri 4-0 at the halftime break, with Byron Alvarez scoring both goals for the Comets and Danny Waltman making eight saves to keep Baltimore off the scoreboard. The Blast finally broke through three minutes, 44 seconds into the third, as Max Ferdinand scored a spectacular power play goal to reduce the deficit to two. Baltimore then drew even, again on the power play, as Tony Donatelli stole in to score his fourth goal of the series, firing home a low cross by Ferdinand to make it 4-4 at the end of the third quarter.

Baltimore took its first lead of the night four minutes into the fourth quarter, Adriano Dos Santos finding the back of the net, and the Blast were able to bolster their lead with a spectacular bicycle kick finish by All-Rookie Team selection Lucas Roque as he controlled his effort after a shot off the end boards by Chris Williams.

Missouri kept its hopes of forcing overtime, and potentially a Game 3 mini-game alive with 5:39 to play as Alvarez completed his hat trick. The Blast’s defense, led by MISL Defender of the Year Mike Lookingland, limited their opportunities in the final five minutes, however, and Vanzela finished with 12 saves as Baltimore claimed its first title since 2009.

After falling 21-12 on Thursday night, Missouri had got off to an ideal start. Following a tense opening, the Comets finally took the lead with 5:02 to play in the first quarter as they caught the Blast on a counter-attack, Alvarez finishing from the left after being found by Cristiano as Missouri held a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes.

Missouri goalkeeper Danny Waltman then had a standout second quarter, keeping the Blast off the board with a number of outstanding saves. The Comets were also able to double their lead, with Byron Alvarez converting a shootout opportunity after Robert Palmer had been brought down on a breakaway by Ferdinand.

The Blast defeated the Chicago Soul, 10-7, in Game Two of the Semifinals to advance to the 2013 MISL Championship Series. This is the team’s third straight trip to the Championship Series and the opponent will be determined Sunday afternoon when the Comets and Wave play their second game. Five different players scored in the win with Adauto Neto recording the game-winning goal.

Just like in Game One, the Soul scored the first goal of the match, when Fred Degand opened the scoring with 11 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

After a scoreless second quarter and a three-point goal from the Soul to start the second half, the Blast came alive, scoring five straight goals in less than seven minutes. Ptah Myers continued his scoring streak, knocking in the Blast’s first goal, followed by Lucas Roque and then Neto who gave the Blast their first lead of the night at 6-5. J.T. Noone scored the fourth goal to put the Blast on top 8-5 and Machel Millwood added a goal to make it 10-5.

The Soul scored the last goal of the match, with just about a minute to go but were unable to come back from the third-quarter deficit.

The Blast will host either the Wave or Comets in Game Two of the Championship Series on Saturday, March 16. For tickets, call 410-73-BLAST or go to www.TicketMaster.com.

In their last game of the 2012-13 regular season, the Blast defeated the Milwaukee Wave, 10-6. Rookie Lucas Roque led the way with two goals and Jamie Darvill scored his first goal of the season to give the Blast an early 2-0 lead. The Blast will return to 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday, March 9 for a home playoff game against an opponent still to be determined.

Darvill started the scoring, just three minutes into the match, to give the Blast a 2-0 lead and Adauto Neto added a power play goal late in the quarter to extend Baltimore’s lead to 4-0. The Wave got on the scoreboard in the final seconds of the quarter when Luan Oliveira cut Baltimore’s lead to 4-2.

Roque’s first goal put the Blast on top 6-4 early in the second quarter, five minutes before Bryan Perez scored for the Wave to cut it to 6-4.

Milwaukee’s Ian Bennett tied the game at 6-6 in the sixth minute of the third quarter but Roque scored his second goal, with just three seconds left in the third quarter, to put the Blast back on top, 8-6.

Lucio Gonzaga added to the Blast lead with a goal just 51 seconds into the final quarter to seal Baltimore’s 21st victory of the season.

The Blast ended the 2012-13 regular season the way they ended the last two MISL seasons, with a match against the Milwaukee Wave. The are no strangers to fierce battles and important games – they’ve played each other for more than 20 years and have met in the last two MISL Championships.

Blast vs. Wave

Like the Blast, the Wave have secured a spot in the 2013 postseason and are awaiting their playoff seeding and opponent. Unlike the Blast, who finish the regular season Saturday, the Wave have five more games to go.

Dating back to the 1992-93 season, the Blast vs. Wave rivalry is the fiercest and longest-standing rivalry in indoor soccer. The Blast is 32-48 all-time against the Wave in the regular season while holding a 9-6 edge in postseason play. Since the 2003 postseason, the Blast and Wave have played each other six times in the playoffs with Baltimore winning the Championship matchups in 2003 and 2004 and Milwaukee beating the Blast for the title in 2011 and 2012. The Blast defeated the Wave, 15-4, in Baltimore on November 16 but the Wave earned a 6-5 win on December and a 10-8 overtime win on January 12, both in Milwaukee.

Keeping the Winning Alive in Baltimore

On the heels of the successful Orioles season and the Ravens’ Super Bowl win, the Blast will begin the 2013 postseason in early March. Though their opponent is yet to be determined, the Blast will host a Semifinal home game on Saturday, March 9. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow.

Celebrity Game

The annual media/celebrity game ended in a 1-1 tie. Joel Greenwaldt scored early for the red team and Nick DiMarco tied it up in the final seconds.

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By the Numbers:
Baltimore Blast: Tied for First place, 20-5
Milwaukee Wave: Tied for first place, 18-3

The Blast will end the 2012-13 regular season the way it ended the last two MISL seasons, with a match against the Milwaukee Wave. The teams, tied atop the MISL standings, are no strangers to fierce battles and important games – they’ve played each other for more than 20 years and have met in the last two MISL Championships. The Blast are on a five-game win streak, while the Wave, who beat the Soul 15-10 Monday night, lost to the Missouri Comets last Sunday, to snap a 16-game winning streak.

Machel Millwood, Baltimore’s longest-tenured player, leads the way with 59 points despite missing the last five games with a hamstring injury. Lucio Gonzaga follows with 55 points and Mike Lookingland with 49. Max Ferdinand (48), Tony Donatelli (47), Adauto Neto (45) and Pat Healey (35) also rank among the league’s top-25 point scorers. Goalkeeper William Vanzela leads the MISL with 15 wins.

The Competition
Like the Blast, the Wave have secured a spot in the 2013 postseason and are awaiting their playoff seeding and opponent. Unlike the Blast, who finish the regular season Saturday, the Wave have five more games to go.

Dating back to the 1992-93 season, the Blast vs. Wave rivalry is the fiercest and longest-standing rivalry in indoor soccer. The Blast is 31-48 all-time against the Wave in the regular season while holding a 9-6 edge in postseason play. Since the 2003 postseason, the Blast and Wave have played each other six times in the playoffs with Baltimore winning the Championship matchups in 2003 and 2004 and Milwaukee beating the Blast for the title in 2011 and 2012. The Blast defeated the Wave, 15-4, in Baltimore on November 16 but the Wave earned a 6-5 win on December and a 10-8 overtime win on January 12, both in Milwaukee.

Keeping the Winning Alive in Baltimore
On the heels of the successful Orioles season and the Ravens’ Super Bowl win, the Blast will begin the 2013 postseason in early March. Though their opponent is yet to be determined, the Blast will host a Semifinal home game on Saturday, March 9. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow.
MISLNation
Every MISL game this season can be seen live on the Internet at www.MISLNation.com.

Tickets
Tickets to all home Blast games, regular season and postseason, are available by calling 410-73-BLAST or going to www.TicketMaster.com. Tickets for the March 9 playoff game will go on sale tomorrow.

On a night that featured the induction of former player and assistant coach Tarik Walker into the Hall of Fame, the Blast beat the Wichita Wings, 12-6.

In honor of Army night, the Blast took the field in special camo jerseys, and got out to an early 4-0 lead on goals from Lucio Gonzaga and MISL Player of the Week Ptah Myers.

Myers scored his second goal late in the first half to extend the Blast lead to 6-0.

The Wings mounted a third-quarter comeback as Tiguinho and Andrew Hoxie scored 40 seconds apart to cut the Blast lead to 6-4.

Victor Quiroz scored early in the final quarter to tie the game at 6-6. After scoring the Wings’ first goal, Tiguinho went on to assist the next two goals. Rookie Marco Mangione scored in the in fourth minute to recapture the Blast lead (8-6) and another rookie, Lucas Roque, added a goal just 16 seconds later to put the Blast on top 10-6. Rogue scored again in the eighth minute to extend Baltimore’s lead to 12-6.

Hall of Fame Night

Walker, who played 10 seasons in Baltimore, began his career as the 1994 NPSL Rookie of the Year and went on to represent Baltimore in two All-Star Games and win championships with the team and 2003, 2004 and 2006. He recorded 582 points during his time in Baltimore and still ranks second on the team’s all-time scoring list. MISLNation Every MISL game this season can be seen live on the Internet at www.MISLNation.com. Upcoming Games The Blast will host the Milwaukee Wave on the 23rd in the last game of the regular season.

Next Game
The Blast will end the regular season on the 23rd against the Milwaukee Wave at 1st Mariner Arena.

The Missouri Comets scored three unanswered second-half goals to beat the Blast 14-11 Saturday night and snap Baltimore’s nine-game home win streak. MISL Player of the Week Leo Gibson led the way with three goals. The Blast will return to 1st Mariner Arena on February 2 to host the Syracuse Silver Knights.

The Comets struck first, taking a 4-0 lead off goals from Coady Andrews and Gibson. Lucas Roque and Ptah Myers scored late in the first quarter to tie it at 4-4.

Lucio Gonzaga scored the only goal of the third quarter, a three-pointer, to give Baltimore its first lead of the night at 7-4.

Blast team captain Mike Lookingland extended the Blast lead to 9-4 in the sixth minute of the third quarter, shortly before John Sosa cut the Blast lead to 9-6. Gibson’s second second goal of the night made it 9-8 but Blast rookie Tino Nunez answered by chipping the ball over the head of Comets goalkeeper Danny Waltman, putting the Blast on top 11-8. Gibson’s third goal cut it to 11-10 and kicked off the Comets’ three-goal run.

Stefan St. Louis recaptured the lead for the Comets just 19 seconds into the final quarter and Cristiano sealed the 14-11 victory.

The Blast will play in Syracuse on Friday, February 1 before returning to 1st Mariner Arena on the 2nd to host the Silver Knights.

The Blast improved to 9-0 on the season and held the Comets scoreless for 46 minutes in Saturday’s 15-9 victory. Lucio Gonzaga led the way with two goals and rookie goalkeeper William Vanzela recorded 16 saves in his fifth win of the season.

Baltimore started and ended the first quarter in similar fashion – with goals. Team captain Mike Lookingland got things started, just 40 seconds into the game, giving the Blast an early 2-0 lead and Lucio Gonzaga added a goal late in the quarter to extend the Blast lead to 4-0.

The Blast scoring streak continued into the second quarter with Gonzaga scoring a three-point goal and Mike Deasel knocking in another goal to put the Blast on top, 9-0. Tony Donatelli scored late in the half to give the Blast an 11-0 halftime lead.

Lucas Roque and Machel Millwood added goals in the third quarter to increase Baltimore’s lead to 15-0.

After holding the Comets scoreless for 46:21, the Blast gave up four goals in the final quarter as Missouri continued to fight through their second road game in 24 hours. Ryan Junge ended Vanzela’s shutout at 1:21 of the fourth quarter and Brian Harris cut the Blast lead to 15-4 less than two minutes later. Lucas Rodriguez scored a three-point goal to make it 15-7 and Byron Alvarez concerted a penalty kick to make the final score 15-9.

The Blast has kicked off their 33rd season of professional indoor soccer in Baltimore with nine straight wins, marking the seventh time since the 1992-93 season the team has started with five or more wins. The team will look to match the 1993-94 Baltimore Spirit squad’s record of 10 straight wins to open the season.

There’s no Place Like Home
The Blast, 9-3 at home last season, started 2012-13 with four home games in the span of just 13 days. The team, 6-0 at home this season, has boasted winning records at home each of the last six seasons and has had winning home records in 18 of the last 20 seasons. The Blast are currently on a 15-game regular-season home win streak.